I guess I'll add to the fun with some more alternatives.

For a reasonable quality inexpensive folder, the Benchmade mini-pika II is usually around $23 US. I have used and abused one for nearly 6 yrs. It opens and sharpens pretty easy. Not my best knife but one I keep reaching for when I need a reliable tool for a tough job.



I have been looking at knives for my daughter who really really wants to be like dad and camp. She is a bit younger and on the small side so I am slowly settling on a fixed blade knife like the Kabar Little Finn, around $25 US.



She loves using my small Kabar fighting knife and this is a bit smaller and easier for her to control. This is a 3.5 inch blade and it has nice classic looks. I like the fixed blade for her, since she has difficulty (finger strength issues) with some of the better locking mechanisms and I think fixed blades are bit safer to start with.

Lots of good choices out there - happy hunting.

-Eric

That Kbar's a nice looking knife Eric. I've been looking for a fixed blade for myself and think I might have to have a gander at that one.

I'm with you on the injury front Art. Learning how best to avoid and treat them is important but there's going to be no bubble wrap in this family. Accidents happen and aren't (hopefully) the end of the world. They're a natural part of a healthy life. The trick is to learn not to repeat them, much.

My son has a little FAK and knows how to clean small wounds and apply bandages. He knows about pressure and elevation for larger ones. In fact, one of the Scouts cut himself this weekend (carving his turkey leg with a too large fixed blade) and DS was one of the cooler heads amoung the youth. His mom is a Scout leader and played it very cool, just as I hope when the time inevitably comes when it's my son who's bleeding.

(And if you listen very carefully, you'll hear a patter of applause from every point of the compass.)

LOL@ Doug. Thanks!

The ability to remain calm and act rationally under pressure, while still acknowledging that he other person is hurt and in pain, is always a valuable trait. IMO kids often pick this trait up by observing adults.

Kudos to everyone, I agree completely on teaching them responsible knife care while young (and accept a few cuts on the way).

Myself, I'm a big fan of fixed blades and not very much of a folder guy, so little help there. But I think more or less all of the suggested knives will work very well.

Is there any consensus on the "best" age for getting your first knife? Obviously, it will not only depend on your particular kid but also on the environment around you and what others deem acceptable. This forums has members from a lot of places, which is why I'm curious.


I remember very vividly being allowed to whittle for the first time by my parents out in the woods. Of course, I got cut. Which is probably why I remember it in such great detail. Don't remember how old I was - 5'ish? A very dear memory.



My kid got his first knife at his 5th birthday. Strict adult supervision rules only. That day, he got his first cut and gave us a very rash excercise in humility and the way kid's brains work: We made an agreement with him that he could whittle when all the guests were gone (outdoor birthday at the beach, beautiful day). When everyone was saying goodbye and the grownups were doing their endless farewell-chatting (for some reason, the chatting increases 10-fold when someone has packed their things and is about to leave) he got impatient and started nagging that he wanted to whittle. We reminded him about our agreement and I'll give him kudos for his quick thinking: A quick BYE - and by definition everyone has now "left" and therefore by agreement it is now "whittle time". Out comes the knife... Quick movements and knives go poorly together. 3 stitches to his left index finger and an excercise in how we handle cuts. A part of me is very ashamed for not watching out better, another part was very proud of his scar (that now is gone - bummer, it was a nice scar!)

We had a great discussion about this in 2008:
http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=154885&page=1

(And now I'm going to quote my own post, which is a little weird but saves time:)

"A first knife is indeed magical to a kid. But that doesn't mean they're ready for unsupervised carry. I think its primary purpose should be learning respect and responsibility under adult supervision. I borrowed and repeated the 'tools not toys' speech to my nephew until he repeated it back to me every time his knife came out.

FWIW, my nephew's first knife was one I modified from a broken butcher knife. I rounded the entire thing with a grinder. Then I added a cutting notch close to the handle, about 1" wide and inset about 1/2". You could fall on this and likely not hurt yourself. Yet it cut bark, grass, and rope, and made kindling quite effectively. I added a sheath made with olive drab canvas and black duct tape, and he loved it. "

Wow. Just wow. Validating 100% my decision to never go near scouting again.

The absolute favorite gift we gave out 7yo daughter this past Christmas was a tie-dye SAK. She takes care of it, she's cut herself with it (once). All of my kids have been using at least a simple table knives since they have been eating solid food.

I live per the principles you'll find here:

http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/

Interesting link. Free range was normal a generation or so in the past. Little did I know I was packing a murder weapon from the age of five on....

Nope, Free Range Kids is the latest fad. My kids can't understand why they can't go out with the other unsupervised 2-6 year olds playing on the transformer behind the house across the street.